Territory



(No Model.)

' A. J. BLIX.

CARTRIDGE BELT;

No. 404,677. Patented June 4, 1889.

W] T Ni /198E 6' Q UNITE STATES ATENT ()FFICE.

ANTHONY J. BLIX, OF ANACONDA, MONTANA TERRITORY.

CARTRIDGE-BELT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,677, dated J 11 6 4, 188

Application filed March 6 1889. Serial No. 302,077. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTHONY J. BLIX, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Anaconda, in the county of Deer Lodge and Territory of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cartridge- Belts; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it apper tains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved cartridge-belt, showing one of its compartments or cartridge-holders open. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the holders removed from the belt and showing it open. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the holder or compartment closed. Fig. 4 is a plan or top view of the holder, and Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view on line 00 4c in Fig. 4.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention relates to cartridge belts adapted to hold loaded shells or rifle or pistol cartridges, and has for its object to so hold the same that a given number may be detached from the belt and dropped into the hand simultaneously without picking them out one by one from the pockets of an ordinary cartridge-belt.

To this end my invention consists in the combination, with a belt adapted to be carried around the waist or across the shoulder, of a series of separate ammunition-holders, each containing a given number of cartridges, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter more fully set forth.

Reference being had to the accompanying drawings, the letter A denotes a belt of leather or other suitable material, which is provided with a series of cartridge holders or carriers B, adapted to hold cartridges of any given pattern and caliber. If, for example, the belt is intended for carrying the ammunition for a Colts lat-caliber frontier revolver, then each holderor cartridgecarrier is chambered for six rte-caliber WVinchester O. F. cartridges, which is the number required to charge the cylinder of that particular arm. Each of these holders consists of a back plate 0, which is stamped or struck up by suitable dies to form recesses D of such size and shape that they will fit one longitudinal half of the particular cartridge for which the holder is intended, and to the lower part of which a similarly chambered or recessed front plate E is hinged at e 6, having recesses D corresponding in size, shape, and position to the recesses D in plate 0, so that when the two parts or plates 0 and E are folded together, the registeringrecesses D and D will form chambers or compartments, each of which will fit and is adapted to receive a cartridge of the shape and caliber for which the holder is intended to be used.

Between the folding plates 0 and E is located a springguard or keeper F, the lower coiled ends j of which are fastened in the lower corners of plate 0, while its upper end, which runs across the cartridge-recesses D D, is serrated to form keepers or guides dcorrespondin g to and facing the recesses D in plate E. In order to make room for the springcoils ff, plate E is cut out at its lower corners, as shown at c 0, so that the spring-coils may project through these apertures when the plates are folded together. When so folded, the plates are held together by two springcatches' G G, the hook-shaped endsg of which engage notches Z) in the upper rim of plate C. (See Fig. 5.) These catches are released by a pair of short levers I-I, pivoted at h h on the front plate E and having their inner or meetin g ends jointed together at 1'. These inner ends are provided with buttons or thumb pieces I I, so that by depressing the same with a quick motion of the hand the outer ends of the levers will bear against the free ends of the spring-catches G G on their under side, and thus lift their hooked ends out of engagement with the notched upper edge of plate 0. To use this device, each holder (comprising two recessed plates hinged together, as de-' scribed) is opened and filled with its appropriate number of cartridges,which are placed in the recesses D, with the wire guard or keeper F bearing against one side, after which the holder is closed by snapping the plates together. In this position the cartridges can be carried safely, free from liability to injury and without danger of their falling out until they are required for use. \Vhen wanted, all that is necessary is to depress the thumbbuttons I I, when the outside plate E will open out, carrying the cartridges with it, which, guided by the wire keeper F,will drop into the hand held below, ready for insertion into the chambers of the revolveror magazine of the rifle. In moving the hand up again to charge the rifle or revolver, plate E is again folded up upon plate C and the two are snapped together.

It is obvious that, if desired, the body of the belt A, if made of leather or other sufficently stiff material, may be molded or stamped, so as to form the back recesses 1), thereby dispensing with the back plates 0. In that case the upper part of the belt above the cartridge-recesses should be provided with a metal rim to engage the spring hooks or fastenings of the hingedfront plate. It will also be seen that, if desired, two or more rows of these holders may be fastened upon a belt of suflicicnt width one above another, so as to form tiers or vertical rows of holders, where it is desired to carry a large number of cartridges upon the person at one time.

Ila-Yin th us described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. The combination,with the belt, of the individual holders or cartridge-carriers, each comprising a hinged recessed flap adapted to open outwardly and downwardly, a corre spondingly-recessed body-piece, and a springcatch for locking the free endof the hinged plate to the top of the recessed body-piece, substantially as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

2. The combination of the recessed bodypiece or back plate, the correspondingly-recessed front plate hinged to the lower end of the recessed back, a spring-snap or look for closing the front plate upon the back, and the spring guard or keeper disposed between the hinged front and fixed back and adapted to guide the cartridges as these slide out of their respective recesses or chambers, substantially as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

In testimon y that I claim the foregoing as m y ownI have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' ANTHONY .I. BLIX.

IVitnesscs:

Rom. '1. SMITH, ALEXANDER FI'iZGEi-mno. 

